A blog for full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, support staff, and friends of Ocean County College who are concerned about the current negative campus climate.
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SS Sycophant

***UPDATE***

A reliable source has explained that Larson did not actually go into the water to save his betrothed. He had one of his minions do it for him. We should have known that there is not one ounce of chivalry in that napoleonic, vicious, little man.

We will all see Dr. Larson on crutches when we congregate next week for his bi-annual "I am the Emporer of Ocean County" speech. Dr. Larson, we have been told, was in a car accident and broke his ankle.

There is contradictory news coming out of the administration building regarding Dr. Larson's fracture. It is alleged that the President of the Adjunct Association invited Dr. Larson and his wife to go out on his boat. The boat, as boats sometimes do, separated from the dock and Mrs. Larson fell into the water prompting Dr. Larson to follow her. This may have been the chivalrous action to take, however the plunge resulted in the ankle fracture. Many things may be said about Presidents Larson's competency as a boss and leader, however, he must be applauded for coming to the aid of his wife.

The bigger question regarding this affair is why is the President of the Adjuncts Union "begging" King Jon to go out on his boat? It is alleged that the Adjunct President had been petitioning Larson for years to go out on his vessel. Could the Adjunct President be ingratiating himself with Larson in an effort to secure favor from him for himself and, perhaps, the adjuncts?

We "Pigs at the Trough" would like to know why the President of the Adjuncts union is cozying up to the president of the college? Does Dr. Larson typically accept invitations from his minions to socialize? Was a quid pro quo scenario involved? Have the two Presidents socialized prior to this maritime outing? Exactly why was the President of the Adjuncts union so desperate to have President Larson on his boat?

Ocean County politics has been rocked by Ritacco's admission of funneling funds to himself from his various business interests. Big cheeses in Toms River have continued to fall this summer with related incidences. Why would King Jon risk the appearance of impropriety to go on a three hour tour with the President of the Adjuncts union?

The Pigs are watching you, Mikey. The SS Sycophant launched much more like the Titanic and, hopefully, those back room deals that you were attempting to secure went down with the ship. The Pigs will keep watching you, Mikey, so keep kissing King Jon's ass and anyone else who can advance you in the tiny world of OCC. We Pigs do like to line up at the trough, but at least our lips are clean when we lift our heads. Can the same be said of you?

Anyone notice the $20,000,000+ in unfunded maintenance throughout the campus? That's right folks, over $20,000,000+, and a revolving door of managers in Dicks constant poking restructuring. Who is next in line to put up with Dick's dripping funds here and there to fix massive breakdowns, what is Dick actually doing with that money, where is it going...the Caymans? Is that why he was boating, to get to his offshore money?

My fellow colleagues and friends, wishing you peace and good health in this terrible time where a lot of us have lost so much.....just devastating. sending you good thoughts and am regretful to have underestimated this storm. I could have, should

Faculty, let us brace for the storm with the predicted strong winds.... can this bring change to our leadership? Blow Sandy blow. On a serious note, I am taking measures to keep my home from flooding. Stay safe y'all.

Dear Roadkill: Excellent advice! You nailed it! Die hard Republican?Worships Christie?Collector of assorted coservative memorabilia and books by right wing talking heads? Anti- tenure but recently received it? backstabs FT faculty? Part of the hiring and firing decision process? Drinks and dinners with King Jon and his minions and the Adjunct Union honcho? Actually likes Miss Manners? Hmmmm...I think I might know one. Could it be... the uber Mole in Russell??

The first way to get ahead is to be born a man. The penis wields great power at OCC. It is like a magical light saber from star wars.

If you don't have a penis, be a republican. Conservative teacher-hating tenure-despising public rants will help solidify your dedication to the conservative cause. Having a shrine of Chris Christie will aid you here as well.

Bribery is another way to the top. King Jon loves his aged scotch, the pricier the better! Having dinner and luncheons with King Jon, Dick, and his lover Miss Manners is also a good move. Make sure you tell Janet she is very pretty and don't pay too much attention to Dick or show too much cleavage. Her majesty is a jealous shrew who cut you off at the knees if she has the opportunity.

Finally, trust no one. Most of the administration is a bunch of back stabbing liars. What they profess is true for that moment only.

I hope this tutorial will help you get ahead at OCC, but be careful of what you wish for!

A great candidate with strong educational and curriculum experience was passed up for the DoA position. I'm can't say that I'm surprised though. Moles always seem to win. Does anyone know what it takes to be a mole these days? A non-tenured faculty would like to know.

Whoever has the newsletter can leave copies on the table outside the School of Languages and the Arts office in the Russell building.

Whoever wants to read a copy can pick it up at will.

And BSB -- what you've heard is true. If the much vaunted civility codes don't apply here, they might as well be deleted. Though since they've been mainly used to harass innocent faculty that might be a good thing.

Hard to tell these days who supports who but it's highly doubtful the a-kissing Adjunct union loudmouth and his BFF The Mole would ever bash or disagree with King Jon and Co. The article is definitely inflammatory.While it attacks the theoretical idea of an open forum and bashes select candidates,can any of us say we buy in to the forum as an honest and legitimate attempt to involve faculty in decisions? I agree BSB that no one will or should offer ideas about degree programs to our new VP. From what I hear, she seems to be only interested in building her own empire and will do whatever is necessary to gain power including making empty promises to faculty and maybe even to administration. It really wouldn't surprise me if she eventually tries to throw her superiors under the bus. Oh happy day.

It was not my point at all, BSB, to suggest Dr. Wang's involvement in the newsletter. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

Dr. Wang has a copy of the newsletter, you can be sure, because its contributors savage her attempt at openness in the forum last week:

"Barnum and Bailey pale in comparison to the fiasco that took place this morning. When and where does faculty get to interview applicants for a Dean position other than in the confines of the search committee. [sic] Why should they??[sic]"

Michael Zahler goes on to assert that had the VPAA candidates been "on a stage and bombarded . . . as to their qualifications . . . [the outcome] may have turned out differently." In an even more tasteless exercise in ad hominem insinuation, the Adjunct Association President likens the decision making of the kind implicit in the Open Forum to that which takes place "in particular locations worldwide" where "individuality does not exist," echoing his earlier disparaging analogy to a "socialistic totalitarian state."

Dr. Wang did not approve this newsletter. Whoever did approve this has launched a venomous power struggle.

The adjunct newsletter that was released on Friday is alleged to have more full-time faculty bashing by the President of the adjunct union along with a cartoon by The Mole that mocks the public forum to "choose" the interim deans that occurred last week. The contents of the newsletter has the approval of dick. If this is not incivilliaty & bullying then I don't know what is.

BTDT, Educational background has never been a priority to OCC admin. If I'm not mistaken, Dick himself only holds a M.A. The only requirement necessary for management here is a master's in the degree of "brown stuff on your nose" and "betray your colleagues".

Don't know the gentleman. Did review the posting regarding his educational background. Question: The requirement to even be an adjunct faculty member in the Humanities Department always was, at a minimum, an M. A. degree in the chosen specialty (literature, language, etc.) not a Masters of Education. Now we have as the interim dean of humanities an individual whose graduate degrees are in the education field, not an aforementioned humanities specialty. Why are square pegs being put into round holes? To paraphrase Shakespeare, Oh, OCC, what a falling off was there!

Anyone else notice that our fearless leader and Dick are out of sight lately??Or that our VPAA is doing the smoke and mirror shows, somtimes twice in one day touting exalted initiatives that will never happen and promising power we will never have, and negotiations that will be fruitful. I think she was most honest unwittingly when she announced the strategy of "I"m the good cop and he (Dick) is the bad cop." One can conclude it's a lame attempt to make us and Middle States think that things are peachy Kean@OCC. Remember that our partner school isn't only on the line for reporting deficiencies but for factious faculty/ admin relationships.